POSTCARDS

Saturday, December 31, 2016

WISH YOU WERE HERE.

A Photologue Of Our Travels.

Rooftops, Doors & Windows.

Oxford Penthouse View

I'm very behind with posts because John, who is here until tomorrow, has had so much in mind to experience that we have been on a fast track. The way that translates is that we were only in Oxford two nights and now for his final two nights we are back in London. Checkout, travel, checking in, consumes an entire day. And because a dense English fog settled upon us, I had no real photo opportunities!

We stayed in an ultra modern apartment in Oxford. It was 3 stories above the ground and it was extremely posh. The only problem was that we had accumulated a huge amount of laundry and although the apartment was fitted with a combination washer/dryer, an average wash cycle took 2.5 hours. I spent most of my time doing laundry and knitting. Please don't think I'm complaining. I really enjoyed the "being" verses sightseeing. Downtime is important too, and downtime in England is certainly a gift! As an aside, I became even more aware of how spoiled I am with my maximum efficiency home appliances.

We did manage to see the University at dusk. We are at 51 N latitude and by about 3:45 it's too dark for photos. Larry snapped some good phone photos, which I will try to gather for another post.

Anyway, at least I snapped a few foggy morning photos of interesting Oxford alleyway doors.

John took the train back to London whilst Larry and I had a slow and go drive. By the time we arrived at our London apartment last night it was totally dark. Schlepping copious baggage to the seventh floor was somewhat embarrassing and awkward. Then we had to find a car park about a half mile away and walk back. A fun part of that adventure was walking a bridge across the River Thames, even in the dark. The apartment was very cold upon arrival and we had a difficult time negotiating the thermostats. We also ran out of hot water. However, this has been our only minor bump in the road, and after lots of communication with the owner and a visit from a building technician this morning, we got it sorted. He called us "Colonials", obviously a bit of a dig.

Morning views. Much less fog, thankfully. We are perched above the River Thames. The Thames is a tidal river, and this morning it was low.

Can you see the guy rowing?

We have a 180 degree panorama from the balcony so you can see the high density housing in this slice of London.

Residential and commercial properties coexist.

Building styles that span the spectrum of classic to modern are packed tightly together in most parts of London. Only in the most high-end boroughs did I notice a sense of controlled zoning.

London is even more high density than Seattle or Los Angeles, which is almost startling. Although I feel overwhelmed because urban life is not my norm, residential life in the greater London area seems to have a smooth flow as far as I can tell. Obviously one readily understands and adapts to whatever they grow up with or into.

The more expensive developments come with a patch of green.

This apartment building has a huge local retail chain, Sainsbury's on the ground floor. It's kind of like a mega Target that is heavily weighted toward grocery. Larry and John are attending a professional football game this afternoon so I will have a lots of time to browse.

Happy New Year to each of you. Thanks for spending part of 2016 with Remnant!

2 comments

Lovely, Dana! I very much look forward to each new entry detailing your day to day experiences - good, not quite as good, trying. Love how real you are in your writing. London seems to lend itself to a heavily graphic design in photographs. I think maybe the muted colors and fog help with that effect. Thank you for sharing the beauty and character of the cities with us!

Dana,Another great collection of photos. My favorite is your first shot of the rooftops. Your trip continues to sound wonderful, including down time to do laundry and to be by yourself while the guys attend a sports event.

Looking forward to seeing your English New Year's Eve postcards...Happy New Year,

About Us

We are a well-seasoned, adventurous couple walking hand-in-hand along life's path. Together we pursue an art form ~ resourceful creativity. Our small island homestead in Northwest Washington State is an expression of this pursuit. I have ideas and Larry makes them happen.

I am a free-spirited photographer and lifestyle blogger who sees art in ordinary things. Larry is a degreed mechanical engineer, whose commitment to military service led to a lengthy career as an airline pilot. Yes, opposites attract! And as our blog hopefully reflects, we have managed to make a fine mesh of things for more than 35 years.

Larry and I have created a collection of handmade home accents made primarily from natural, up-cycled, and thrifted remnants. These pieces will occasionally be featured here and available for purchase in our Etsy shop.

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So too, at the present time, there is a remnant chosen by grace.Romans 11:5